This invention relates to a unit for illuminating the peripheral surface and surrounding portion of each reel in a slot machine wherein when a plurality of reels each with a plurality of symbols provided on the peripheral surface are stopped, if a specific combination of the symbols on the reels holds on a validated pay line, the game state changes (a transition is made to a bonus game, for example).
A reel-type slot machine is known as a gaming machine installed in a casino, etc. Such a slot machine is provided in the front center of the machine with a display window for displaying the symbols provided on the peripheral surfaces of the reels, and also comprises a coin slot, a start lever, etc., disposed at appropriate positions of the machine front. As shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of reels 1 and a backlight illumination unit 2 for illuminating the peripheral surface of each reel 1 are placed inside the display window.
The illumination unit 2 has a light source 3 such as a fluorescent lamp or an electric light bulb and a frame member 4 placed in front of the light source 3. The frame member 4 is made of a colorless or color-tinted transparent plate of acrylic, etc., and a front face 4a is made translucent like frosted glass so that light from the light source 3, incident from a rear face 4b is emitted while it is scattered. When power is turned on, the illumination unit 2 illuminates the peripheral surfaces of the reels, making the symbols on the reels easy to see from the outside through the display window during the game.
In this kind of slot machine, when a coin is input and the start lever is operated, all reels start to rotate all at once and then stop. When all reels stop, if the symbols on the reels stopped on at least one validated pay line of a plurality of pay lines become a predetermined combination, a predetermined number of coins are paid out as an award. When a winning is thus determined, the illumination unit 2 performs predetermined lighting, blinking operation for illuminating the peripheral surfaces and surrounding portions of the reels to enhance the stage effects.
In recent slot machines, it has been common practice to adopt a system wherein to give the opportunity for the player to get a large amount of award, when a specific combination of the symbols on the reels holds on the validated pay line, the player wins a special prize and is allowed to make a transition from the normal game to plural turns of bonus games. In the configuration in which the game situation thus changes, the illumination at the normal game time and that at the bonus game time are changed appropriately and further specific illumination is conducted at the game state transition time, whereby the stage effects can be more enhanced.
However, as shown in FIG. 14, in the configuration in which the light source 3 is placed in the rear side of the transparent frame member 4, lighting, blinking, or flashing operation is performed, and illumination light is allowed to pass through the front face 4a from the rear face 4b of the frame member 4, the illumination content types are poor and sufficient stage effects cannot be provided. To supply diverse types of illumination in response to the changing game state, measures for increasing the types and the number of light source or the like become necessary and an increase in cost cannot be avoided.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an illumination unit for reels of a slot machine for changing the colors of the peripheral surface of each reel as a symbol display section and its surroundings in various manners for improving the stage effects.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an illumination device, comprising.
at least one transparent plate member, having a first main surface facing to the inside of a gaming machine, a second main surface facing to the outside of the gaming machine, and side surfaces connecting the first main surface and the second main surface;
at least one illuminator, which emits a colored light beam, so as to be incident on at least one of the side surfaces;
at least one light director, provided in the plate member to direct the incident colored light beam toward the outside of the gaming machine.
Preferably, a plurality of light directors are provided in each transparent plate member.
Here, it is preferable that a plurality of illuminators are provided such that each illuminator is associated with one of the light directors.
Preferably, a plurality of transparent plate members are provided.
Here, it is preferable that a plurality of illuminators are provided such that each illuminator is associated with one of the transparent plate members.
Preferably, the transparent plate member is formed with a through hole such that a size of a first aperture at the first main surface is smaller than a size of a second aperture at the second main surface. At least one of inner surfaces defined by the through hole connecting the first aperture and the second aperture serves as the light director.
Here, it is preferable that a cross sectional shape of the inner face defined by the through hole is rounded.
Preferably, a groove is formed on at least one of the first main surface and the second main surface so that a surface defined by the groove serves as the light director.
Preferably, a plurality of transparent plate members are laminated in a direction perpendicular to the first main surface and the second main surface. At least one light beam emitted from the illuminator is incident on at least one of the side faces of each transparent plate member.
Here, it is preferable that the transparent plate members are laminated such that the respective light directors are superposed with each other.
Preferably, the transparent plate member is an acryl plate.
Preferably, the illuminator includes a red light source, a green light source, a blue light source, and a light adjuster which adjusts each intensity of the red light source, the green light source and the blue light source to emit the colored light.
In the above configurations, the colorful illumination stage effects for the reels of the slot machine can be provided by a very inexpensive configuration.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a gaming machine, comprising:
an illuminated object provided inside of the gaming machine;
a transparent plate member, having a first main surface facing to the inside of the gaming machine, a second main surface facing to the outside of the gaming machine, and side surfaces connecting the first main surface and the second main surface;
an illuminator, which emits a colored light beam, so as to be incident on at least one of the side surfaces;
a light director, provided in the plate member to direct the incident colored light beam toward the outside of the gaming machine; and
a controller, which controls an intensity of the colored light beam emitted from the illuminator, in accordance with a situation of a game performed.
Preferably, the illuminated object is a reel of a slot machine.